Cross-Locked: Fate
by Sansic
Summary: After a chaotic mishap with the Chaos Emeralds and this strange paper doll, the Sonic cast find themselves thrown into the gory, grotesque depths of Tenjin Elementary, a school cursed with death... Friendships will be torn, loyalty will show its true worth and betrayal lingers in one's mind... It doesn't exactly help that little Sachiko's pulling strings... [Gore. Couples.]
1. 001 - Taken Chances

**Taken Chances?**

It was dark at first.

I couldn't see anything. Not even my own hands.

…This sucked…

I'd have taken this like a duck would water, with all of my time of showing off my athletic ability with my eyes shut, but…

Where I am now… It felt a little unnerving to do just that. I mean, there wasn't much difference in whether you had your eyes open or not… blackness was… well… what was the word? …Infinite?

…

Yeah, that…

It didn't seem like a good idea to close them… it's a matter of comfort, see? And I could safely say that I'm not comfortable right now. At all. Not even enough to close my eyes.

"…Agh! …Damn…"

That was my leg. On a desk leg. Irony aside, I wish I could see… heck, I'd love a little Chaos Spear right now… Anything… Then again, I guess beggars can't really be choosers…

I sucked in my breath as a small amount of agony flowed up my body; every time my foot met with the floor, a glacier of throbbing pain would echo up it, right up to my thigh. I really hoped it'd wear off soon…

I stood in silence, before I felt around, trying to find a light switch or something to get me out of the dark… or any of this mess, to be honest. Maybe my eyes would eventually adjust to the darkness. My little buddy said that once… but I can't wait that long.

_**Creak… creak…**_

…Hell… now the FLOOR'S unnerving… Even when almost tip-toeing it knows how to freak you out.

…I need a light switch… something—

"**AH!"**

_**FLASH! FLASH!**_

…!

Lightning… and is that rain…? Maybe… maybe not… but the room just lit up for a second… now that I looked at it…

Rotting, grotesque, dilapidated desks… chipped, beyond-ruin floorboards… (better watch I don't trip on those…) fragility at its peak… A barren, well-aged chalkboard, shattered, ominous windows… the pattering of light rain… no, heavy rain…

H-hmm… h-heh…

Back to school, I guess. Wonder what happened to this place…

I scratched my ear thoughtfully.

Maybe renovations? …Nah… seems a little off for that… maybe I could ask someone around here…

"…Hello?" I called loudly, voice arrogant and somewhat obnoxious.

Nothing answered… at least, for a second.

"…Urggh…"

"Huh?" My ears abruptly pricked, twitching at the noise.

It sounded like someone was groanin—ah!

Something moved.

…Scratch that, something was movING.

I couldn't make it out… but it looked big… and it didn't look like furniture…

It moved significantly, now; it was slowly moving towards what appeared to be and upright stance, picking itself up off the floor…

"…Uuuhhh…" I trailed, speechless for a second, and then cautiously queried, "…Anyone… t-there?"

"D-dammit…"

I stopped.

"…Knux? That you?"

"…"

He didn't answer, and it wasn't until weak, purple eyes met mine that he decided to.

"…Sonic?"

I smiled widely in return. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Knucklehead."

A chuckle sounded at that point.

"_**Hee hee hee…**_

_**Hee hee hee…"**_

"Very funny," the echidna growled.

"That… wasn't me," my suddenly shaky voice responded.

"Don't screw around, Sonic," Knuckles snarled, dusting himself off as he paled.

"No, really! I mean—really! It wasn't me!"

"Knock it off…" he muttered, looking me like I'd stolen his big, shiny gem.

I sighed. There was just no convincing him.

Stubborn Knucklehead…

"… Okay, fine, fine!" I grumbled in a begrudging tone; for once, I'm not trying to screw with him... "It was me…"

"Tch. As if you could scare me with that stupid…" Knuckles paused momentarily, looking around and then at me with a blank expression. "Where are we?"

He looked a little on the wary side as he glanced around.

Late reaction, much…?

"I dunno," I responded with a skeptic shrug. I really, _really _didn't know. "Some sort of school."

"School?" he asked, incredulous, brow raised and purple eyes wide with surprise, nearing me so quickly that I blinked. "WHAT HAPPENED TO EGGMAN'S BASE?"

He'd shouted in my face; I couldn't help but do the same.

Folding my arms, I neared his own face, and then replied, "I DUNNO!" with narrowed eyes and irritation.

Seriously, how should I know? If I did, I'd probably be bragging about how I know and Knux doesn't…

The echidna threw his hands up into the air exasperatedly, looking at me with a vaguely—no, nothing but irritated—expression. "Great. We're stuck in the middle of nowhere, in some creepy school building," he sarcastically quipped, "_Nice_ job, Sonic."

Raising an eye ridge, I promptly yelled back, "Whaddaya mean, 'nice job'?! YOU'RE the one who suggested we charge in!"

"Like you wouldn't have done that anyway!" he snapped in response; tch, as if... I'd think first. Probably… "How was I supposed to know that the Chaos Emeralds were rigged?!"

"We didn't even get THEM!" my annoyed voice replied. Honestly, that was a sucky grab if I ever saw one…

"I know THAT…" Knuckles growled tetchily. "All _I_ got was a crummy piece of paper!"

At this, I stopped. My voice lowered slightly, as I looked at him with a bewildered face. "…A _**what**_?"

"This."

My hot-headed rival immediately held up a ripped piece of paper, waving it ever so slightly in front of my face where I could see it. It was vaguely small, but I could make it out… it was straightly cut and ripped at the same time, edges both different and alike.

Blinking, I asked 'im, "…What's that?"

"I don't have any idea," Knuckles shrugged. "But I must've picked it up in Eggman's base… I don't think I picked it up here…"

"At any rate… we need to find the others. Seen 'em?"

"Sonic, I JUST wake up, and you're asking ME if I've seen them?!" he snapped, looking at me cantankerously—the usual. "I don't sleep with my eyes at the back of my head, you know!"

"The phrase is 'eyes wide open'…" I grumbled, facepalming.

"WHATEVER!" he bellowed, fists shaking as a spiteful glare was shot in my direction. "But asking me that—"

"Geez, geez, geez… I get it, I get it!" I raised my hands defensively, waving them dismissively at him with a sweatdrop. "Calm down already!"

Loosening his muscles, because he's Knuckles, he sighed and just shook his head.

There was an eerily long silence after that, and none of us dared to move or talk at all… at least, I think. Knuckles twitched a few times. Eye twitches…

The ceiling dripped invisible dust, creating sounds like that in an echoing cave.

Knuckles was the first to move; he seemed fed up already.

"Let's get going," his gruff voice grumbled. "We've been here long enough…"

I shrugged, and followed the red echidna as he exited the room…

But damn… my leg… hurts like Hell when I try to walk…

"Such a h-happy guy, ain't ya', Knux?" I asked with a pained smirk, arms behind my head in a relaxed position…

…Anything but that inside. This place gave me the creeps… and my limb wasn't helpin'.

I didn't wanna' drive attention to my leg… Knux would prey upon it with insults in like seconds… karma… I hate ya'.

But nonetheless, I went on… trying to hide the agony I was in with smirks and snarky comments...

"I mean, man, you sure know how to control that temperament in a place like this. I—"

**THUD!**

"AhhhhhHHH…!"

The sound of trickling filled the air, and I stared at my rival, before bringing my gaze down to his now-soaking wet foot.

"Huh?" He blinked for a second, before shaking his foot in a hysteric manner. "Ag—yuck!"

"What IS that?" I inquired in disgust.

…

A little moment of realization was all I needed…

A snigger—from me.

"Wrong place to go to the b-bathroom, Knux," I quipped with a wide, mocking grin.

Knuckles went furiously red at his cheeks, and then snarled in reply, "THAT'S what this is?!"

"You tell me. You're the one who couldn't w-wait to use the bathroom," I laughed scornfully, albeit a little weakly, but I didn't make it blatant... What can I say? The guy's a party to wind up. Heheh.

"It wasn't ME!" Knuckles yelled furiously in response, nothing helping his red muzzle. "It was this BUCKET! THIS BUCKET… RIGHT HERE!"

Rolling my eyes, I replied, "Suuuuuureeeeee—…heh?"

Perplexed, I blinked at the ratty, old bucket on the floor, tipped over and leaking yellow fluid.

…

Joking aside…

"Yuck."

"Yeah, YUCK…" he growled at me irritably.

Heh-heh…

I'd felt somewhat awkward at this point.

"Eh… easy mistake to make, knowing how many of those pe—"

He immediately shot me a 'Shut-up!' glare.

"… Yeah, maybe you should pick that up?"

Grumbling incoherently, Knuckles had the nerve to walk past it begrudgingly. He was ignoring the bucket. And seething with a soaking-wet foot.

… Sweet.

Shrugging sheepishly, I jogged after him with a quaint grin and followed.

***~S~***

"…**AHHHHHHHHH!"**

"Knuckles!"

The ground had slipped beneath my friend's footing, and he'd immediately fallen through, letting out a manly yelp…

Yeah… _manly_…

Need clarification on that, thanks.

My hand gripped his tightly, and I tugged at his arm, wrenching him away from the bottomless darkness and the chipped, rotting floor; it surprised me how that wasn't falling through either….

"The floor here's gone…" he stated the obvious… tch...

"Yeah. Well done, Knucklehead," I replied with a subtle smirk, patting him on the back with fake pride. "Your grape diet really paid off."

"Shut. It…" Knuckles muttered; haha, one of these days, he's gonna' punch me in the face again… and he's gonna' miss!

"I kid, I kid. You alright?"

"Y-yeah… I'm fine," he bluntly responded: he was looking at me quite solemnly. Super serious. Whoa. "…We'll have to watch our steps from now on…"

"No crap," I snarkily shot back, folding my arms and peering into the hole.

For a moment, it took me that time to see how bad it was…

I whistled.

Looked pretty dark… deep… in an off kind of way, too.

Finding nothing of use here—and what would you find of use? A loose board? Yeah, sure—we turned to walk the other way.

"… … HHHHHHUH…?!"

"…_**Bakas**_**..."**

For a split second…

R-red…

…G-grey eyes…

…

…G-girl…?

"…What… what the H-HELL was that?!" Knuckles yelped, glancing around, paranoid probably. I could relate… He was paranoid…

Like I was…

"…"

No answer came out of my mouth to ask his question. Words couldn't. An' even if they could, I probably wouldn't be able to answer him.

Really… _what_ was that…?

I gave a momentary shudder…

_So… cold…_

The air felt thick with some sort of sharp tension I never thought I'd feel. Something was rumbling in my stomach… but what was it…?

I couldn't be hungry… I'd eaten a while ago, but… I…

I couldn't describe it. I… was almost dreading future events to be honest…

Fear? Paranoia? Were those it? …I didn't wanna' stay here any longer and find out…

I side-glanced Knuckles.

He was tense, purple eyes becoming as they were; they had previously shrunk to a measure I'd never seen… he looked scared out of his wits. He didn't show it, like, because he was 'tougher than leather', but… that look before… with the shaking fists… it was freakin' obvious and I knew it.

I opened my mouth—

"Hey, Knu—"

And then, suddenly, I shut up, ears pricking and then my nerves set on their true end…

"…**N-N…ao…miiii! **

**N-N-NAO…MI! **

**P-p-ple…ase... **

**S-stopppp…!"**

Our heads erratically jerked back to the echoing corridor behind us.

"**N-N-N-A…OMMMMMMMMMIIIIIIII! N-Na… S-STOP! NAOMI! NA-A-AOMIIIII!"**

Panicked screams sounded all over, echoing indefinitely throughout our ears. The screams were evident no matter how much we tried to not hear… this was it… real thing…

I yelled in shock, taking a step forward to bolt, "…Someone's in BIG trouble!"

A male voice… fading…

"…**Ahhh… AHHH… AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! YAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"**

My attention shot to the ever-wary Knuckles at his snapping glare.

"Stop pointing out the obvious and MOVE, SONIC!"

_**WHOOSH!**_

The echidna wasted no time, and was already rushing forward.

"… HEY!" I yelled after him… but I felt nothing in them… I couldn't move them… "WAIT UP!" I yelled, but I didn't give a reason to ask why until… "…There's a—!"

Knuckles leapt over an incoming hole, feet landing firmly on the creaking floorboards ahead with little difficulty ever thought possible. He really was rushing… he wasn't screwing around…

"KNUX—GAH…!"

That yelp. That yelp sounded when I hit the ground, my vision fading ever so slightly as I tried to get up, make a sense of my surroundings…

My leg… my foot… It hurt… it all hurt…

The ground was so merciless… uncaring… hard… brutal…

It f-freakin'… h-hurt…

But… why now? W-why…? When someone was in danger…?

"UGH…" I grunted, heaving my body to make it move. I had to—

"…**AhhHHHHURK…!"**

Mo…v…

***~S~***

Silence sounded on the second floor; it held solace and an unforgiving silence… one that anyone could grieve over…

Knuckles the Echidna had shot up the stairs in an instant, assuming his rival would follow…

But that silence only followed him… the only thing he could hear was his own footsteps…

Until…

"…**N…a…o…mi…"**

**CREAK… BANG!**

Knuckles' breath hitched, but was it out of sheer fear?

…Who was he kidding…

He was freaking out just as much as the next guy…

"…**N…a…o…mi…"**

**CREAKKKK… BANG…**

_What… what sort of messed up thing is this?!_

As he neared the peak of the stairs, he heard those mumbles and creaks and bangs once more…

In all his life, Knuckles had never been one for cowardice…

He wouldn't abandon someone out of his own damned fear… especially right after he denied it!

"…**N…AO…MI…!"**

**CREAKKKK… BANG-BANG…**

The noises continued, and that voice… sounded like it was choking.

…_!_

Regaining himself immediately, the echidna bolted like he hadn't before, noting this situation was definitely no laughing matter as Sonic made out most of their adventures to be.

He skidded, stopping at a door.

Lavatories… judging by the sign…

But which one…?

Gritting his teeth, he hesitantly listened again…

"**Na…gggGLLKK… Kkk…"**

The sound of a stall door slamming and opening once again…

**CREAK-CREAK… BANG-BANG…**

"…That one!" Knuckles declared to himself, and bolted for the second door.

As he did, his fur stood on end…

Like, dread…

Like, he wasn't meant to be there…

Like, this was… death…

But he braved this measure for a reason, and he would not leave it… not for anything.

"…H-hey… Anyone there…?" he called, fists instinctively raising…

"**G-g…LLLKKK!"**

That noise was his answer.

Shock passed over his features, and he dashed for the stalls, skidding to a complete and utter stop in front of a random door.

…One of them was moving… slamming and opening again… albeit a crack…

_That didn't… sound too good…_

Swallowing, Knuckles' whole body tensed, and he poked his head towards it, cautiously approaching it as if it were going to do him utter ill…

How right his instincts would be…

**CREEEEAAAAAAAAKKKKKKK….!**

Purple, speechless eyes widened in a complete democracy of terror as a human being hovered over thin air, being aided by a noose…

"**N-Na…—Gllkkkk!"**

In front of him, losing life and the spark in her eyes, was none other than _Seiko Shinohara_.

***~S~***

**Yesh, new crossover! :"3**

**I've been planning this for a while… way more than two months, and now I've finally got it down!**

**I love these fandoms so much, so I decided to work with them. :D Blame my obsessions.**

**Corpse Party was a really fun and interesting game for me to play… because I'm an angsty person. :3 Sonic and Corpse Party would obviously make a crossover in my mind… they're both so aweshum! And I'm going to have a hell of a lot of fun writing this!**

**Oooo… To save ****Psycho ****Seiko or to not save her…? :3 I personally love her as a character… XD But hey, what can happen…? ;3 **

**Anyway… I hope readers enjoy this! :3 It will be quite messed up, as Corpse Party is, so don't be too shocked… X)**

**I will appreciate every review I get… it will really motivate me! (: But favouriting and following will tell me someone's reading it too… still, the reviews be aweshum! :3**


	2. 002 - Reality's Whiplash

"Gihhh ihhh baaahhhkkkk!"

"Hh…! Hh! Oh, no, no, no… oooh… M-Momma!"

_**ThudTHUDTHUD!**_

"Hhh-hhh-Hhhh! Oooowwww…!"

…

"Oh… t-that… hu-urts… ooof…"

…

"…I c-can't… see anyone…

…Ooww…

My… ank…le…"

…

"…It h-hurts… but… khh… oof…"

**Shuffle-shuffle…**

"Maybe… I-I can walk on it…"

_**Clatter… thud-thud…**_

"…? It's very q-quiet… M-maybe… I-is… is that scary boy gone…?"

"**GIIHHHHH… IHHH BBAAAHHKKKK!"**

"…! Hh…! No—no! N-n—!"

**THUD.**

…

**Chapter 2**

_**Reality's Whiplash**_

_It's a cold day._

_I'm sat down at my desk. I started work a little while ago, so now I'm just finishing mapping out odds and ends. Most of these odds and ends are for the Tornado, and, I'm really happy I got the correct parts… well, a little. They're going to be delivered tomorrow apparently. Trust me, I'd set to work now if that wasn't the case. I'm just glad I'm getting _something _done around here. I mean, I've been inside a while… the Tornado suffered collateral after the last fight against Eggman, and numerous heavy weight robots. … Yeah, you could probably guess what happened. Haha…_

_Kind of irritating, really… how I have to fix everything again, but in a way, I sort of enjoy it. Fixing's a hobby; it always has been, and it probably always will be. I'm definitely going to focus on durability when I get the parts, though… as much as I hate to admit it, Eggman's weapons _are _getting a bit better… I need to up my game. Stat._

…

_It's pretty quiet, now that I think about it. Normally, people would be visiting, but I guess they're held up at the moment, huh? I never really thought about it before… but even if the silence is pleasant for work atmosphere, I feel… odd… somehow. I've no idea why. Maybe I've eaten something off or something… but… my stomach feels weird. Like, the worried kind of weird. Kind of unnerving right now, even though I'm working. Working normally took my mind off things for a while. This time is different, and I don't know why._

…_Maybe I shouldn't dwell on it right now. I've got a lot on my plate, and I need to figure my own stuff out rather than worrying about things. The next adventure for us will probably be soon, knowing Eggman, and I have to be ready for that when that happens like everyone else will be, regardless of the dread I've got stuck in my stomach right now. That paranoia won't help me at all._

_But still, I can't just shake this feeling off… it seems… omnipresent. Instinct, maybe? _

_All I know is something bad's gonna' happen. That's what I feel like, anyway… might be just me; I don't know about everyone else, and I haven't seen anyone for a while… Guess I've been shut up in here far too long. I'll get to do something about it eventually… but right now, I've got most of my attention on the Tornado than anything else._

_But still, this feeling… it feels like…_

_Instinct…_

"…**Tails-san?"**

"…Huh?"

Miles 'Tails' Prower looked up to see the curious, big, brown eyes of Cream the Rabbit, blinking at him innocently. She'd lolled forward quite a bit, her long, almost-curly ears looming over the piece of paper the kitsune had been writing on. Hands clasped behind her back, she seemed most innocent in this action, verifying it was curiousness itself.

"…?"

After a moment of recoiling and recognition, Tails finally realized she was holding something in her hands; something thatched. It looked to be a basket, woven with golden wicker and patterns that seemed persistently neat. The lid seemed to be poking a bit, now that he looked a little closely…

Cream pulled her head back a bit, remembering her manners as she recoiled; she didn't want to be in Tails' face… that was rude, way against her morals, but she couldn't help but be curious.

Tails could only blink from then on as the cream rabbit smiled brightly, beam lighting up her face like the neon lights of December.

"Uhh… hey, Cream," the kitsune mumbled, a little less audibly that he'd like; awkward. He slowly pushed the paper aside, not noticeably, however, keeping his gaze strict to Cream.

"Hello, Tails-san!" the rabbit chimed happily, eyes closing with that cheerful structure. Opening her eyes again, she politely bowed for a moment, smiling warmly at Tails. "How are you?"

"I'm… good, I think," he responded sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he snuck a glance at his unfinished journal entry for the day.

"Oh?" She tilted her head innocently, a concerned expression contorting her features. "You think? Is there something wrong?"

"Well, not exactly," the fox replied, then looked at her.

"Oh… well, do you want to talk about it?" She blinked, frowning.

"…Nah, I'm okay," Tails told her with a meek, reassuring smile.

"…" After a moment, Cream nodded in understanding. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, and she respected that. It was none of her business, after all. "Okay then!"

Tails was glad she didn't persist.

_I wouldn't wanna' worry her either…_

As always, Cream was being polite and concerned: it was a trait her friends often valued. Always kind and polite to everyone… like mother, like daughter, they say. Like her mother, Vanilla, she had manners, a caring demeanor, and was polite throughout her conversations, even with Dr. Eggman himself. Cream was brought up well, and you didn't need a master detective to find that out.

But still…

Curiousness killed the cat, regardless. Or rabbit, in this case…

Blinking again, said mammal looked at his desk.

"If you don't mind me asking, Tails-san…" she began curtly, tone that of innocence and intrigue, "…what're you doing?"

The boy was blank for a second, before he realized what she was talking about; moving his head to see the scribbled handwriting, his eyes lit up in recognition, and he looked at her again, dismissively, uncomfortable smile forming on his features. The other frowned at that—was that a bad subject too?

"A-ah, just writing," Miles scratched the back of his ear, his muzzle housing a barely subtle smile. Driving away attention, he slid the piece of paper into his hands, and popped it into his desk drawer.

Confused at his reluctance to tell her, Cream's frown deepened, but, once again, she wouldn't persist if he was uncomfortable with it.

"Never mind," he assured again. "It was just my plans for the Tornado, nothing big."

"…Hmm… alright then," Cream mumbled with uncertainty. Something was indeed up… but she wouldn't press on it.

"So, what did you want, Cream?" Tails asked, smiling at her with an inquisitive expression. "Is something wrong at your place or something? Did something stop working?"

He habitually had to check out appliances every once in a while…

"Oh! Umm, no—that's fine," she replied, shaking her free hand, mirroring Tails' expression sans the inquiring tone. "Thank you for checking, though, Tails-san!"

"No problem," the kitsune replied genially, then tilted his head, rubbing his muzzle questionably, as if a little stumped. "So what's wrong?"

"Well…" At first, Cream trailed, as if awkward to ask, but that only lasted for a second. She regained her bearing, and smiled at him in a friendly manner. "Umm… Momma, Cheese, and me… we're going on a picnic today."

"That sounds cool," Tails replied with a sociable expression, happy for her. But what she was getting at…

"And…. Well, you've… no offence, Tails-san… but… you have been… inside a lot, haven't you?" she asked, twirling the bottom of her shoe into the floor.

Tails paused at this.

"… Uhh… well…"

"I don't mean to be rude…"

Pausing for thought…

"Well, you're not wrong, and I guess I'm not offended," he mumbled. He did think that statement was right… He'd been indoors a lot… In fact, the only time he'd been going out was to get odd groceries, parts, and the classic milk off the doorstep; he didn't do those tasks often since he'd been working so hard on the bi-plane. He did agree with her…

"Is that good or…?"

"Yeah, I think." He looked at her, rubbing his arm. "I'm not mad, don't worry."

"Good…" Cream breathed. "I don't like anyone being mad… even Mr. Knuckles…"

"Yeah… scary," Tails commented, shuddering. "…So what is it?"

Eyes marble for a moment, recognition crashed across her face like a tidal wave. "Oh! Umm, I was wondering if…"

"Yeah?"

"If you wanted to come. To our picnic, I mean."

"Your picnic?"

"It'll be nice to get out, won't it? And Momma made all these delicious sandwiches AND apple pie! We're going to eat in a big meadow, and we got this pretty blanket. It's so soft Cheese wouldn't get off it for an hour!"

She giggled a bit, sounding excited.

Tails noticed the bright look on her face, so happy, prideful, and joyous… and she was asking him of all people. She certainly didn't mention anyone else was going, and the basket _did _look too small for a massive group of Mobians… and he could swear he smelled that baked apple pie Cream had been talking about. Vanilla was truly a master baker in that sense. She'd obviously had a lot of practice, as it smelled divine just through the closed basket.

And… That smile on Cream's face was one you couldn't reject, unless you wanted to see her joy crushed like an ant underfoot.

Tails wasn't the person to do that.

He really needed to work on his plans, though…

…

But then again…

He guessed a little picnic wouldn't hurt. And she was right when she said he'd been stuck inside a while… It'd be nice to spend his actual time out in a meadow of all places, even more so with a friend.

"…Sure, why not?" the kitsune asked her with an approving expression.

Cream's face was an expensive light-bulb, lighting up as soon as he'd given that answer.

"Thank you, Tails-san!" she smiled. "You'll have a lot of fun, I promise!"

"Chaooooo!" the basket lid opened, and Cheese's head emerged from it, jam covering his mouth.

"…Ohhh… but… I think we need to get more jam tarts first," Cream laughed sheepishly.

Tails looked at the cheerful chao, and laughed slightly in response. "Yeah."

"Chao-chhhaooo!"

**FLASH!**

"…Ow…ww…"

Groans of pain sounded from the depths of a black corner, splintered and red beyond repair, rot chipping away at its very lifeline. Beams creaked, and taps made noise yet no water.

"…What… what… happened…?"

The room was an abyss of cold, intimidating darkness, forever swallowing all optimism and happiness in one sight and gulp, ever present. Crumbling sounded at times, and for no reason.

He felt the dust and debris building on his face, clouding his vision as he tried to open his weary eyes. Of course, whether this was manageable was to be debated, because he never found out if he'd opened them. Darkness surrounded him, and he could see nothing, not even his own hands. That in itself was terrifying, along with the noises that sounded endlessly around the morbidly tainted room.

Something metallic reached his nose. Something smelled off. Weird. Unforgiving… and this smell was something that gave hint about what trouble he was in now.

"…W-where…?"

He muttered a low sound of confusion as his eyelids flickered in the blackness, struggling to see even the faintest of lights with his blue eyes. He felt blind. He hated being blind… he wished he had a torch or something. If he'd been back there, it would've been easy… he'd have had a torch… never occurred to him to bring one…

Then again, those batteries would run out eventually…

Moving his arm slowly, he felt a numbing sensation in his back. He assumed he'd been resting on something for too long, and attempted to sit up, cringing as he moved his gloved hands in attempt to set himself straight.

**THUD!**

"…HURKK…!"

He took a sharp intake of breath, sucking in the cold air through his teeth as he recoiled with agony. That cold thud was him hitting the unforgivably rough floor of dense gloom. Something sharp and still prodded at his arm as he slipped.

It was sticking into him… or was it?

He could barely feel anything because his body was just… so numb… and…

His back felt… weird… aside from the lack of feeling he held… like… wet…

…What had he been leaning on?

He strained motionless eyes to look to his left… or was that his right? His mind… was a bit off at the moment.

"…H-huh…? W-what's this…?"

**Nudge-nudge…**

"Feels… squishy…"

**THUD!**

Something white and rotting had fallen directly in front of his face due to the constant nudging of the object with his foot.

"…W-what… WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH…?!"

…Either way, he'd found what he'd been 'looking' for…

Letting out an almost strangled yelp, he jumped erratically, rolling away from that corner with his fur standing on end; his muscles had finally found the will to move, but only of their own accordance… out of fear.

What had been poking him was something new entirely…

For in the corner, lied remains… remains flayed open, set on display… staining the corner like gloomy, muddy paint that had dried over time… and that smell… oh, that smell…

So… rotting… so… meaty…

It explained the metallic smell earlier… and now, he wished he'd never wondered what it was.

"…W-what's…"

He gulped, sweating slightly with shrunk, horrified pupils.

"A… b-b-b…ody…?"

The words were barely able to be spoken; he couldn't believe his eyes, and he didn't want to.

It was a mutilated corpse, rancid and bloody throughout every measure. Organs were smashed, rendered useless, pierced like balloons and looking like some sort of sick mosaic. Blotches of shadowy crimson were sewn onto the wall and the ground, smelling more putrid than every decomposed object put together… No, this was worse. Way worse... White, foggy bones stuck out of joints, and shivers fell down the watcher's spine as he realized what had been poking him earlier… more so, what he had been laying on…

And his back…

"..Kkkh…"

The male gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to yelp and scream even more as he felt something cold dribble down his back…

"…T-this… c-can't be…"

Trailing off, he looked around, and, due to the amount of time spent in the current area, his eyes had certainly become more adjusted.

"…A… classroom…?" he asked himself in confusion. "…But w-what… happened to… Eggman's base…?"

Wincing, he set about trying to stand; for the moment, he was on all fours, and had it not been for self-motivation, he would've stayed that way. His legs felt like they'd locked; sadly, that adrenaline of fear wasn't helping anymore, and he wished it would.

"Oww…" he groaned under his breath, using a table to prep himself up (though he didn't entirely trust it). "…"

Straightening, barely, he looked up, all around…

Broken floorboards… mucky counters… a… dissection table…? He shuddered at that… Gas taps… beakers of… hydrochloric acid…? It seemed like it… for a science lab…

This… was a Science classroom. A lab, to be more precise… but… it didn't feel like a regular one. At all.

The corpse behind him had been a big hint.

Slowly, he swallowed, taking a slight step forward.

"…Sonic…?" he called as his shaking voice had allowed, albeit hesitantly. "…Knuckles? Amy?"

No answer came… at least, not that he heard.

"…Guess n-no one's here…" he mumbled concernedly, in fear of the abnormally long silence. "…But then… where is everyone?"

He felt terrified at the concept of being alone, but at the same time, he wouldn't want his friends to be here…

He assumed they were about somewhere… it involved something at Eggman's base, and everyone was there… maybe they got sent here too…

"…I guess we all g-got separated…" he mused, "…I… have to find everyone… or someone, at least… figure out what's going on h-here…"

He had to think, for the moment. He had to decide… he couldn't stand around here, waiting for help. That would help no one…

…But this place looked so spooky… creepy… and…

It seemed… unsettling and dangerous. The air was thick with something that he couldn't describe, because it was that scarring to guess what it was…

No time to dwell on it.

Limping to the door, his paranoid mind thought of the possibilities of where he was. It did indeed look like a school, but… mutilated corpses? He never expected such a thing!

What was wrong with this place? Something terrible must have happened, he gathered… perhaps this was an abandoned site, shut down or something… It seemed in pretty bad shape; definitely dilapidated… Perhaps a murder had occurred here, and the murderer had fled…

That story wasn't settling for him, certainly not helping his nerves at all.

It seemed to be the only logical explanation, though! And that body had been there a while… didn't need Sherlock to point that out… Perhaps the police hadn't found it yet. Perhaps, he should alert them of it!

…He didn't know why, but that felt useless… probably because of the lack of digital devices on his person. Had he a phone or communication device of some sort, he would be using it as a lamp right now. A small light was better than no light at all. The darkness was an abyss of trouble, uninvited; if the murderer was here, he didn't want to be caught.

He'd rather be in Eggman's clutches than be in some place like this…

**Thud-thud-thud…**

He heard footsteps outside the door… they echoed quite obviously, and… did he hear breathing? He didn't know… he heard a noise, however, and he tried to remain optimistic for that moment.

"…Cream?" he called reluctantly, voice going from low to high within a few seconds. "Blaze? …Silver!"

…

Nothing replied. Perhaps that was for the best. If it wasn't them… he didn't want to think about it.

As he listened on, the footsteps eventually droned out into silent taps outside the classroom, soon no longer heard by his ears.

Breathing a sigh, whether it be depressed or relieved, as he didn't know which, the boy finally came to a stop in front of the door, setting his hand upon the handle.

And, as he did, he noticed something.

The style of the door. It wasn't a regular thing he'd seen… looked… foreign. Having never seen these sorts of windows where he had been, he assumed this.

…_Looks… familiar, though…_

Now that he thought about it, it reminded him of Chun-Nan… but that was just a guess. He looked to his left, seeing barricaded windows with wooden frames. The glass was intact, despite all the damage in the room, although it wasn't particularly helpful, since he couldn't see anythi—

"…!"

He froze on the spot, blood running cold as his terrified gaze glanced at that window momentarily again. Stiff with fright, he didn't dare breathe after a hitched breath, every muscle tensing up and every bit of fur standing on end.

A blue glow had walked by the window, and, housing the glow… well, it was humanoid.

…_! T-that… that's… a…_

That led to assumption, and he felt his heart rate increase erratically as the glow stopped, turning around again and walking out of the window's sights, past the door…

Body unmoving, he only breathed when he deemed it necessary, and that was after he could no longer see the glow.

"…What… W-was… t-that… a…" he squeaked quietly, "…g-ghost…?"

He didn't believe his eyes as much as he disbelieved Sonic disliked chilidogs.

…That logical explanation of his felt small in comparison to this situation. To think, hours ago, he had been planning a picnic with Cream… and now…

Now he was in a place that didn't care for logic, and was already one of the most intimidating and unforgiving places on the planet.

**Thud-thud...**

All senses stopping once again, minus his ears, the thudding noises sounded closer…

In the room, closer…

Behind him, closer…

Yelping suddenly and regaining his messed-up bearings, he rattled the door's handle frantically, before pausing when he heard nothing else. And… the door wasn't opening. In fact, it felt incredibly cold to touch. He moved his hand away from the handle—it felt like he was getting frostbite already…

Was there any point in trying to open it? His hands hurt… and the door was obviously locked.

Heart rate quickening, his head turned, only a little bit, as he strained his blue, frightened eyes to glance behind him.

Tails saw no one. Not a single being.

But…

There was this…

Anatomical figure…

**And… there we go!**

**If you've only just noticed these notes now, it's because I was too tired to put them in the other night. XD It was quite late when I typed this up; I was eager to get it done, because I need to.**

**Anyway, that aside, I get distracted a lot, so unless I got a major plotbunny for a fic, it may take a while to get chapters up and running, plus my laptop's keyboard keeps playing up (s, x, c, m, shift, etc. don't work sometimes—it's annoying when I writing, so I have to use a USB keyboard).**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. :3 If you haven't guessed already, Taiream is going to be in the fic, as are other couples, Corpse Party and Sonic alike… and there'll be a dangerous love triangle later too. ;3 I'm developing these relationships, though, so they won't be rushed and canon as possible. I hope you enjoy the interactions! :D**

**XXSadlysomepeepswillhavetodieXX D'X**

**Anyway, responses ('cause most of the reviews are guest reviews! XDDD) **

** Cheesecake Superstar: Thank chu! n3n Glad you like it, buddeh! :D**

** Weapon X Foxfire: I will do! ):D**

** SonAdow-Baby: Ahaha, yeah. I don't mind it as much as the next guy (or chick…), though. X3 It just tells me you like my fic! :D …But with Writer's Block in the way… yeah. XD That aside, thank you. **** I aim to please!**

** Guest: Well, I haz updated! But is it soon? XD And, this is the game universe. Prefer the games (and the Manga) to be honest, because it's most canon (and not as many people die; what happens to poor Yuka… ;-; ). I can't guarantee nothing bad will happen to Yuka; still plotting out this fic as we speak. Guess we'll see. ;3**

** Anonymous: Will do! :D**

** Andre Oltman: Well, it's gonna' be a novel, so you'll definitely get more. XD As for the changing names thing, I don't find that fun to write out. I prefer dialogue being original than copied; your own work is better than your copy of someone's work.**

**Thanks for the reviews, guys! Glad you like it! :D**

**Until next time, my aweshum readers… Toxic out! :)**


	3. 003 - Gratitude

**Chapter 3:**

**Gratitude**

"…Gllk…"

He stood there, frozen and petrified with shrunk, surprised pupils, seeing inceptors barely able to realize the severity of the situation. His mouth twitched and quivered uneasily, the black hole inside agape with horror.

This girl before him was hung, struggling for dear life, her eyes almost drained of the purity of existence. Almost.

"Wh-wha… wh-what the Hell?!" Knuckles choked, his mortified expression nothing but pure shock and terror.

"..Gllllkkkk… ulkk…!"

"Ho-hold on!"

Coming to his abruptly-shapen senses, he scanned the stall, seeing nothing below but a murky hole, most presumably the base of the toilet. Shaking his head in frustration and heart beating frantically, he looked at the asphyxiating teenager once again, almost remorseful as he failed to see how he could help. Then, after a moment, defiance struck his being, as he forced his mind to figure something out.

_NO!_

Turning rashly, he instantly shot towards the door, surveying the area frantically and then shortly seeing an old, rusty bucket to his left. With sweat inching its way down his face, he eyed it, momentarily, ignoring the cringe worthy amount of fillings and spillages around it. It looked like flayed innards… and he tried to ignore that. Shaking hands grabbed it, the owner whirling to hurriedly sprint back to the stall door he had left moments ago.

"…G-G…LK…!"

"Don't die on me! Hang on!"

Skidding to a stop, he hauled the bucket upside down beneath the girl, spilling any excess contents that had been inside—he didn't care. What mattered most right now was saving this youngster from a fate she'd regret.

"Ugh…"

Climbing onto the small surface area of the base of the bucket, he was careful not to slip. His balance HAD to hold through until the very end, otherwise his efforts would be for a dreadful naught. Her legs were dangling limply, but the slight twitching reassured Knuckles that she was still alive, still kicking…

It wasn't too late.

Placing her legs on top of his shoulders, he, using his strong build, pushed her up, so not to strangle her, but so she could breathe.

"…Cgh… Ck…"

That was another sign of life. He'd improved something at least. Cautiously, he tried to reach around her, reach up to try and untie the noo—

He couldn't reach. He was too short.

"…?!"

_Dammit… no!_

Frustration and panic seeped into his mind, welling his being with raw emotion and annoyance. The life of another was in his hands, but he had no leads, no reigns, no way of saving it! He was stuck… very stuck indeed. But he didn't want to just give up and let this innocent girl die!

Breathing in, he tried to calm himself, attempting a clear head.

"H-hey…" he mumbled. "Kid? Can you hear me?"

"…"

All he heard were shallow breaths, ones that were desperately trying to regain oxygen or indicated hyperventilation.

"Hey… Hey, kid!" he persisted with a growl. "Are you with me? Say something! I need you to do something… or we're screwed, alright?! You need to reach up… reach up and untie yourself!"

Only silence answered him, aside from the low breathing.

"…Kid…" he sighed, quite irritably, but he tried to hold it. It wasn't her fault… It was his because he couldn't save her properly. He was just so angry with himself; he couldn't help it. That spat out with his words. "…Do you WANT to die?!"

That question was spat with malicious venom, a little cold, Knuckles noted, but he had to talk sense into her, otherwise they would get nowhere.

"Please… I can't hold you forever! Listen to me, dammit! What would your family think of this?! Your friends?! Your loved ones?! TALK! DO SOMETHING!"

"…Ulgh…"

"C'mon! Snap out of it!"

Slowly, the echidna felt his being shake beneath him. Whether it was out of anxiety or balance was to be debated. He uneasily looked down, seeing what looked like a red, mushy paste sliding out from beneath the rims of the bucket. It was a horrible sight to see, absolutely disgusting. With a shudder, he looked up once again, trying to see if the girl was listening to him.

His face lit up.

She was moving. Her arms were moving. Although her face was completely sucked of all energy, her throat robbed of complete space, and her oxygen supply limited, she was moving her arms. Soon enough, those hands reached above her neck, fingers fumbling with the rope. Her fingers slipped and failed numerous times, but they kept going with the echidna's urging. They felt wet and greasy… she could feel something slippery and metallic lacing every inch of it.

"C'mon, kid… almost there!"

"… D-d… o… d-do… ne… i-it…" her voice wheezed weakly and suddenly, words a little more coherent for the first time.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Because when I let go, there's no going back if you didn't!"

The rope dropped limply onto the girl's chest, loose and no longer a noose as it had been. The expression on her face was grim and tired, but at the same time relieved and glad. Her hands were drooping lightly and it was then that Knuckles noticed how much weight he had on him now.

"…Hargh…?!"

**THUD!**

The echidna flew forwards instantly, the sudden weight on top of him something he wasn't able to balance well enough to carry. Scarcely, something scratched at his cheek as he fell, but with a low growl he dismissed it, sweatdropping and looking up at the female currently lurching over his back with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Sa-sai…d… I d-did it…" she told him impishly, noticing the annoyed expression on his face. That expression was revoked, however, and it changed to that of self-hatred when Knuckles was angry at himself for not being able to hold up a girl…

Cheek half mushed into the ground, Knuckles grumbled something to himself as he felt the other being carefully edge her way off him. It was more a roll than actual edging, but worked regardless.

Feeling the pressure on his back decrease, the Master Emerald's protector slowly pulled himself up, gaze strict to the floor as his hands pushed against the floor. The ground seemed to be mocking him with its disorientated and sickly feature, full of that dreadful substance he had stumbled across earlier. Realization hit him suddenly, just as a boomerang would his head.

"…ARGH…?!"

He yelped, his voice lacking the calm or angry tone it usually had. He disgustedly rolled onto his other side, away from the muck and grime he did not wish to describe, and then regretted it when it littered every inch of his fur. In attempt to shake it off and brave it out for the other, he tried to ignore it, acting as if nothing was there.

"…Y-you… got something there…" the girl admitted, pointing at the mess on him and trying not to feel nauseated by the sight. She inwardly sweatdropped, wondering how messy she was herself. And looking down, she'd moved to the 'clean' side. Knuckles had rolled onto the 'dirty' side. He was full of it and certainly not happy.

Cocking her head curiously and trying to shake off the feelings she'd had moments ago, she stared at the echidna, trying to decipher something but obviously failing as her head nudged left and right. She didn't understand, and it was probably best not to. Talking animals… that were like people. Sure, she'd never seen it before, but what was she not to believe in this place anyhow? Absolutely anything went on here… she decided not to press on it. It would probably go over her head.

"I can see that," Knuckles grumbled irritably, looking at himself ashamedly as he tried to dust the muck off him with a hint of repugnance for his appearance. This stuff… it looked and felt real. Not fake, not some bizarre movie plot. He had known that from the start that this place meant business. Now that Sonic wasn't here to joke about it, he could fully realize how much that business meant to him and the others here… and he was extremely worried, not that he showed it. First exit was the first thing for everyone here. As many as they could manage.

Slowly but awkwardly, he slowly pulled himself to a stand, wiping off the last of a strewn organ that was on him. He was obviously very sickened by this, but Knuckles was a very strong soul, or at least, he tried to be. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be suitable to protect the Master Emerald. He wouldn't let something like this get to him… no matter how much it freaked him out.

The rouge creature looked down at the teenager sitting on the ground, who had been staring at him quite vacantly for a little while. He felt uneasy about this intense observation, but cleared his throat to throw away the tension.

"…What the Hell were you thinking?" he asked, quite lowly; the anger in his voice was hindered by utter confusion.

"…Eh?" the teenager asked, blinking as she snapped out of her studying stupor, meeting his purple-eyed gaze. He looked muddled, misunderstanding why she would do such a thing, but she didn't understand either.

"Well?!" he snarled, voice becoming hostile so suddenly, "Why the Hell did you hang yourself?!"

"…" She said nothing, just staring at him with a lost face before moving her suddenly-desolate gaze to the floor. "I d-didn't—"

"Don't you DARE lie to me!" he growled, eyes narrowing to slits, furious. He hurled a gloved hand towards a pair of shoes to his left, just outside the stall. "Those are yours, aren't they?!"

He saw that she was wearing no shoes… and those shoes she wasn't wearing were just in front of the stall… and he knew…

He knew what that meant. He knew full well what that meant!

This was deliberate, wasn't it?!

"What was going through your head?! Did you just give up?! Didn't you think about your family?!" he snarled. "Your friends?! Everyone who loved you and held you dear?! DAMMIT, girl, why would you throw all that away?!"

"…It wasn't like that! I-it wasn't like that at all!" she snapped, looking at the echidna with a hurt expression. "I'd never… My friends… Yuu, Dad, Naomi, Mochida, everyone! I love them all so much… I would NEVER leave them behind! Not for anything in the world! Even if the creeps go overboard here… even if it ruined any friendships I had… and it didn't even do that… I didn't… I didn't hang myself! I didn't just 'give up'! Not… not when people need me…"

Knuckles' facial features slightly softened at this, and inside he yelled at himself to quit being a prick, feeling guilty already.

"…"

With a low sigh, he looked elsewhere, avoiding even looking at the girl.

The other did the same, awkward within her silence.

Then, after a moment, she spoke words yet again, holding complete honesty as she did so.

"I didn't hang myself," she repeated, her eyes low and her tone sincere. "When you love someone, you don't give up on them. Period."

He pensively squinted at her, as if trying to discern something, but with the way his eyes moved elsewhere, it indicated that he couldn't find what he was looking for. She wasn't lying, and although Knuckles was not the best person to discern that, as well as trickery and tricks and lies, he could see that clearly enough, and he felt it. In her tone, her words, her sincerity… none of it was fake. He would be wrong to poke at that now, and he probably didn't care if he got it wrong this time. The girl couldn't do anything to him, and if she did attempt to hang herself, he should pity her more than berate her. But that wasn't the case otherwise… that meant someone else did it. Some sick individual tried to strain, pull, and snip at her lifeline. In most details, he wasn't surprised at that fact. This place reeked of something malicious and unforgiving… and he had no idea of what it was.

"…Thank you…"

"…Eh?"

The echidna snapped out of his thoughts, hearing the other speak suddenly as she stared up at him from the floor. Her eyes glinted thankfully, glad she could live again. Glad she had another shot. Glad she could see the others yet again.

He watched her for a few passing moments, his lips forming a tight line as he stared at her. His gloved hands fell to his sides as he looked away awkwardly—he never really was good with women… unless it involved mouthing it off at them. He'd had plenty of those experiences with Rouge…

"…You're… welcome," he admitted with a struggle, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as if that would diffuse tension.

The girl nodded slowly, although there was this hint of a smile on her face as she did so. She slowly pulled herself to a stand, an eyelid twitching as she winced. Seeing the echidna scan her once more, she waved her hand as to tell him she was fine, that he had done enough. Denial shook with his dreadlocks, and Knuckles moved past her to aid her just in case, giving a grunt of disbelief. The girl had just been hanged… she'd probably still feel dizzy from the deprivation of oxygen.

"…Softie, huh?" she asked, smiling down at him. "Y'know, I know someone like you! Hot-headed, persistent… and super soft on the inside!"

"…?!"

Knuckles huffed in response, arrogant as he answered, "I'm not soft!"

"Aw, c'mmooonnn! You to-totally are!" she giggled, a beaming smile on her face.

Knuckles attempted not to smile back, so to protect his pride, but he just couldn't help it. Well, partly.

He grumbled, "Stop being bubbly! You'll strain your voice… you wanna' do that?"

"Mmmm, maybe to make a point," she hummed. "What's your name, tough guy?"

"…Knuckles," he answered hesitantly, side-glancing the grinning teen. She was acting like nothing was wrong… but he could see her glancing about every so often. She was obviously an optimist. He wished he could be that in this situation… but he was a realist compared to everyone else. "Knuckles the Echidna."

"So THAT'S what you are, huh?" she asked, rubbing her chin. "Maaaan, I never would've thought! Kinda cute…"

…_What the HELL?!_

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he spat, regretting the cute factor. He recalled someone else calling him cute, especially when he was angry… serious underestimation of his figure. "What's your name, then?"

"I'm Seiko," the teenager introduced, giving a playful bow and smirk. "Seiko Shinohara! It is very nice to make your cute little acquaintance, Knuckles-san!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you too, I guess," he muttered, then turned his head to look back at her. "Do you have to act so peppy?"

That question was a curious and genuine one at that.

"Huuuuuh?" Seiko asked, then grinned sheepishly. "Aye, Cap'n! I gotta' keep our strengths up! No point being gloomy!"

"…?" The red being blinked at her, unable to figure out what was going on in her head. "You… do realize what's going on, right?"

"Yup!"

"…And you're still acting like this?"

"Have to!" Seiko responded with a bittersweet face. "When we're down, it makes us feel a lot worse."

"Hmm…"

Knuckles said nothing more in response, however he did bat an eye to it, subtly. Looking to the door again, he paused, lost in thought before he glanced at Seiko once again. He began walking, approaching the exit as his dreadlocks swished back and forth.

"…Ummmm… Knuckles-san?" came Seiko's voice again.

Stopping, he asked, "… *sigh* Yes?"

"Can… I maybe come with you?" she asked, impishly with a sweatdrop. "I don't know where to go…"

"Well, I don't exactly know either."

"Doesn't matter. I just don't wanna' be wandering this place alone, if you get what I mean."

"Yeah, I do," the Master Emerald's protector breathed with an expression that had utterly depleted from positive attitudes. "…Fine. You can come."

"Oh, yay!" Seiko chimed with a wide grin. "Okay then, Boss; where to?"

"Somewhere that isn't this damned room…" he uttered with a cynical face.

Seiko nodded. "…Yeah…"

Knuckles made his way out of the room, discreetly looking over his shoulder to see if the human was following. In all honesty, he appreciated the company, even if he was a loner. This place was not ideal for being alone… and he had no idea where Sonic was. Where the Hell did that blue boy get to anyway? Probably off to save some other damsel in distress or show off his moves as usual…

Knuckles shook his head abruptly.

No… wasn't that at all. He knew that Sonic wouldn't screw around in this place, even if he claimed he wasn't. What lead him to think that?

"Mmmm. Pretty dark, isn't it?"

Seiko's querying voice came to his ears again, presumably trying to strike up conversation.

"Yeah. Must've really done in the light fixtures in this place," he answered, gaze trailing to the ceiling above.

_**STOP…**_

…_?!_

He stopped once again, a voice echoing in his head. A morbidly serious one… no, a demonic one at that… almost, anyway. The tone sounded unnerving and unforgiving.

"Eh? Knuckles-san?"

"…N-nothing. Did you say something?"

"No… but I'd understand if you heard something. There's… other people here. At least, that's what Naomi 'n' me figured…"

…_Other people? _

The male knew that regardless, but he rejected the notion of that being the voice in his head.

…_No. It's not that. That… sounded nothing like a person. Maybe it was once, but not now. But then… what was it? I don't even want to know._

Seiko followed the echidna as he timidly looked around, scanning for threat. She housed an anxious expression—she hadn't heard anything, but she'd only said that to try and reassure him… Was he hearing things?

That worried her…

"**STOP THIS…"**

"…?! Okay, I know I heard that!" Knuckles hissed, "Where—Aghhh?!"

"What… Eeekkkk!" the schoolgirl jumped, seeing a slouched figure at the entrance to the stairway. "That… tha-that's that girl!"

"…Girl…?! The same one..!"

The small stature at the door was indeed stood there, her features overshadowed by her almost thick black hair. She wore no shoes, her feet bare and being pricked by the splinters around, but she seemingly felt nothing of it. Her arms rested limply upon the lap of her red dress, and her mouth formed a scowl, one only Knuckles could barely see, hands twitching.

"**You're not supposed to be changing this, echidna…"**

"YOU! You little… ARE YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS?!"

_I know it looks like a little girl, but damned if I'm meant to believe that sentence and exact girl is good news!_

"What? What's sh-she saying?"

…_**Baka… **_

_**She was listed as hanged.**_

_**You're going to die.**_

_**You're BOTH going to DIE… A WHOLE LOT WORSE…**_

_**You've NO CHOICE in suffering in eternal damnation!**_

…_WHAT?_

"YOU! You little—AGHCKKKAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Knuckles-san!"

Suddenly, the ground shook malevolently, the floorboards spiking upwards and everywhere, and debris rained from the ceiling. It was so abrupt, so without warning, and Knuckles could not help but see metaphorical stars as a stray shingle hit his head.

"…Acghkk…"

Blackness rapidly clouded his vision, and the only thing he could hear in his head…

"Knuckles?! Knu-Knuckles-san! KNUCKLES-SAN! WAKE UP! _KNUCKLES_!"

_**Hehehehehehe…**_

_**HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH…**_

_**Ahahahahahaha…**_

_**AHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!**_

…was the sound of Seiko screaming his name and that giddy fit of laughter that almost seemed fictional…

* * *

**Whoooaaa, chapter end! :3**

**Ehehe. Peeps are really touchy about who dies, huh?**

**I personally loved writing this chapter. Seiko and Knuckles have such clashing personalities, and they're fun to explore. There's some sort of adorableness I find behind them both as well… XD Knuckles is nervous/awkward around women, and Seiko is just adorably pervy! What a combination, haha! XD**

**Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Having so much fun with this indeed… too much fun. XD I think I'm definitely motivated! So expect more chapters real soon!**

**Do leave a review if you can. Even if it's a few words.**

**Oh! And also… if you're interested in this crossover like I am…**

**Expectadvertisementsifyoudon'twanttoknowjustignoreit:**

** www. fanfiction . net topic/147990/121867170/1/Corpse-Party-Sonic-Crossover-Roleplay**

…**There's a crossover roleplay of it here for more fun! :D**

**Thingyended.**

**Anyway…**

**Thank you for reading, and 'til next time, my lovely readers…**

**-Toxic : )**


	4. 004 - Confusion

**Confusion**

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was a blur, hard to interpret, completely illegible… for the first few seconds, she felt blind, almost entirely. The ceiling glared down at her, blaring blackness and rotten wood that spat down uncomfortable rains of debris and splinters. Her back ached, and she could only wonder—had she fell on it? In all of her time, she had never felt pain this noticeable, and it made her cringe in agony when she tried to pull herself straight. Her brown eyes looked around sluggishly, big, curious, and nothing short of terrified as red gunge painted the walls, and limp people laid strewn across the floor. Instinctively, she covered her eyes, whimpering softly and wondering where she was, if Momma was here, or Mr. Sonic…

She swallowed the fear with a small gulp, then moved her hands to peek out again, dreading doing so but finding it the only way to progress. Her gloved hands—once white and clean—were now more murky and dusty than they had ever been. Something undiscernible had settled on the gold cuff keeping it together, and the child flicked it off, once again wincing at what it might have been.

Pushing her palms into the floor, she applied her weight to the floor in order to stand up, and, after a few stumbles and moments of being wobbly, she managed to do so. Her legs wobbled slightly as she straightened; they felt dead, like they had not been used for a very long time, but most of all, they hurt. She had no idea how she had strained the muscles, but she knew they would need tending to soon. She hoped someone here had a first aid kit, but she somehow knew she might not be getting help in a place like this…

Dusting herself off carefully and examining herself, the youngster sighed lowly, her breath shuddering and unable to truly figure out what was happening. Her dress was now a dark shade of orange, the backs ridden with a murky substances. She attempted to clean it up, but it was to no avail; once she got home, she would have to ask Momma to wash it again… this was her favourite.

Moving her attention away from the impending thought that something other than mud was lathered all over her back, she took a small step forward, staring quietly at her surroundings for a small duration of time, observing every crack, every bit of board, and every deceased creature that housed the hall. She regretted this immediately, but held in her fright, her breath hitching as she clasped her hands tightly.

Momma had always said if she was lost, she should wait where she was for someone to find her, but such an option was not viable here, so she could not take it, and she had no strength to call out, at least not yet. If she called out, what if someone else came? Someone she didn't know? Someone scary? She hoped that wouldn't happen… and so, for now, kept herself silent. She knew, anyway, that any words she spoke would most probably come out as a stuttering wreck; she was so terrified that speaking coherently might be a problem. She might have been able to speak clearly later, but for now, she was far too shaken.

Composing herself, she dismissed her feelings towards the place, and strode down the hall, attempting to be brave and act like this was not bothering her. A chill fell down her spine, however, and she shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself, cold and frightened no matter how much she tried to hide it. Her face portrayed terror, and would not change whilst she was here.

She stopped at a cross-section, and looked in all directions; her own path excluded, one path led to a door, one to another long hall, and the other was blocked off by a hole in the floor. She bit her lip as she glanced between these choices, unsure of where to go. The blocked path could be an option… if she flew, but she could not rely on those skills when she was in such a state; her legs were shaking. The big slide-screen at the bottom did look awfully convincing, but if it was a room, she did not want to get trapped… She would probably feel more confident in doing something like that if someone was with her, and currently, no one was, apart from the odd dust bunnies. Those made the halls more lonely and terrifying and did not aid her in the slightest.

She turned her head to the right, then looked at the misshapen floorboards for a few seconds before making her decision. She steadily made her way to the path leading down the hall, clenching her fists and hoping that no scary monster lurked at the end of it. She minded the holes in the floor, the big dilapidated ditches, and the odd droplets leaking from the ceiling, and navigated the barren corridor, watching her step every time she went and treading slowly. As she walked by the last hole, her ears pricked, and she stiffened as she prevented herself from squealing out of fear.

**"…****Kishinuma-kun, w-we can't just wait around for Ms. Yui!"**

**"****I know, I know… but... ergh… All I'm saying is it would've been safer to wait for her there. You know, like she ****_asked_****…"**

**"****In a place like this? Something terrible might have happened, an-and, sh-she might not have co-come back at all!"**

She glanced around quickly, then spotted a loose piece of wood sitting against the wall. She shot to it as quickly as she could, and then hid behind it, hiding her cream body from sight and watching on through the convenient hole in the middle of the board.

**"****Quit being pessimistic… It's a big place… she was gone for ten minutes, and—"**

**"****That isn't my po-point!"**

**"****Well, that's mine… but there's a note now. If she comes back, we'll know, but don't get yourself worked up, Shinozaki... we'll… we'll find her, okay?"**

The footsteps and voices seemed to be coming from the stairway… clearly someone descending to the first floor. She kept silent, staring through her eyehole as she saw two humans.

**"****We better… I hate being on my ow-own like th-this…"**

**"…****Y-you're not ****_on your own_****, you know…"**

**"…****Hm?"**

**"…****Never mind."**

Finally, the speakers emerged from the door, looking around briefly before stepping out into the corridor. There was a teenage girl, approximately seventeen years old, with blue, pig-tailed hair and eyes; she seemed on edge, and was constantly looking around at every sound and display made. She was wearing some sort of uniform, and was hugging herself, looking slightly insecure. At this very moment, the unease seemed definite, but was supported by something else…

Next to the girl was a tall boy, about the same age, and he sported blonde, short, messy hair with suspicious grey eyes. He wore a black uniform with a white, buttoned shirt, that of a scholar, and a red undershirt. The fear wasn't as obvious with him, but he was clearly not overjoyed nor comfortable with the situation, and seemed to be eyeing the girl next to him with concern, not that she noticed.

The pair stayed where they were for a moment, then turned to make their way down the hall, the young rabbit watching them from her hiding spot. She thought they looked slightly approachable… perhaps she could ask them for help? They seemed nice enough... And they seemed really worried about their friends, and maybe their teacher, from what she guessed.

She stood, thinking about this briefly, wondering if her actions would be safe…

"…?!"

…then froze.

Something cold drifted down her spine. And that cold was only behind her, not in front of her. Her stiffened face stared ahead, and her fearful eyes perceived a blue glow visually travelling across the floor, only her shadow blocking the inner area of it out.

Slowly, she swallowed yet again, and moved her gaze cautiously, giving a fleeting look over her shoulder.

**"…****Gilgggghhh…"**

Every nerve in her body seized up almost instantaneously, for in front of her was a human child, but yet, not just that… It shed a blue light, and everything above its jawline was missing, exposing the innards still remaining in its head. The stump that was assumed to be its tongue was lapping about weakly, over and over again, and its head was facing down. It didn't seem to be looking directly at her…

It made gurgling sounds, its speech almost completely incoherent.

**"…****Gilggghhh… mllgge… bahllggg…"**

She did not give it time to finish its request, bolting out from behind the floorboard and running down the hall, crying and screaming loudly,

**"****MOMMA! CHEESE! MISS AMY! P-PLEASE! I DON'T LIKE THIS!"**

All that rushed through her mind was terror. She sobbed so much that her vision blurred; she could not see clearly, and so, as she turned to the corner, she had no idea where she was going.

"…? Huh?"

"…What's up?"

"I thought I heard—"

"MOMMA!"

…The young rabbit latched onto the stiff form of a boy, and he looked down, yelping suddenly and almost jumping out of his skin.

"…The Hell…?!" he yelled, looking down at the creature hugging him. She was sobbing into his clothes, getting them wet, and was wailing almost indefinitely for her mother.

"…Is… is that a rabbit…?"

"Momma… Mooooooommmaaa**…" **she whined, its voice echoing and sniffling every few seconds.

"…I have no idea what…" the boy blinked, then tried to back up. Unfortunately, the creature's grip on him was tight. Did she even realize what she was doing? "…Hey… uh… could you get off?"

The boy was inwardly awkward and freaked out by the sudden appearance of a talking animal, and wished greatly she would stop hugging him to death. The place was unnerving as it was…

"Why does this have to be so scary…?!"

He blinked.

"…I dunno, rabbit thing, but could you—"

He was interrupted.

"Kishinuma…" the girl sighed lowly.

He shrugged. "What?"

"It's clearly a child."

"…So…?"

"…" She sighed lowly, then knelt down to the rabbit's level, watching her for a moment before tapping her shoulder.

She stiffened ever so slightly, but halted in her sobbing.

"…Hi there… I'm Ayumi," the girl told her in a calming tone.

"…H-hello, Ayumi-san…" the rabbit whimpered, quietly, looking at her with a distraught expression. "I-I'm C-Cream…"

"I'm seventeen. How old are you?"

"Umm… I'm… six…"

Ayumi frowned. So young… place was probably more of a nightmare for her than Ayumi herself.

"Oh… Are you all right, Cream-chan?" Ayumi asked, furrowing her brow with a look of concern.

"…I th-think so…"

"O-okay, good… So… I know you're a little scared, but… could you let go of Kishinuma-kun, please?"

"…? Huh…?" She blinked, almost innocently for a second, then looked up at the boy. He seemed… taken by surprise, and she gasped softly, before pulling herself away and twiddling her fingers. "...I'm sorry…"

"…It's all right…"

"What the Hell is—?"

The girl shushed the boy, especially so since he'd swore.

Kishinuma looked awkwardly silent at this, and rubbed the back of his neck, wondering why random bunnies were appearing.

The child glanced back, half-expecting the spectral spirit to have followed her, but… no one was there to greet her gaze. It simply wasn't there, gone. Had it spared her…? Maybe it just thought it was a funny prank to scare her and left her alone…

Sheepishly, she looked back at the pair of humans, uncertain of what to say.

After a moment of silence, the girl named Ayumi spoke up, biting her lip as she looked at Cream.

"..Where did you come from?" she asked quietly. "We… haven't seen any of you around…"

"…Huh?" The rabbit blinked, pointing at herself. After a second, she stared at Ayumi, then answered, "Umm, Ayumi-san… that's strange, because my friends and I have seen lots of you!"

"…Eh?" Kishinuma looked a tad freaked out at this statement. "Have you hybrid animals been watching us or something?"

"…?! Oh, no, no, no! Definitely not!" Cream frowned, waving her palms in a denying manner. "We… live alongside yo-you all, ri-right?"

"…Huh?" The boy looked clueless.

Ayumi sighed quietly, looking at the ceiling. Although, upon closer inspection, she decided not to when she noticed a blue light. She shuddered, then looked back at the boy.

"I think... maybe… we're dealing with a different reality, here…"

"You think that's it?" he blinked at her, looking a bit sceptical. "Some whacko video game?"

Ayumi rolled her eyes slightly at her companion's description. "Yeah, something like that… do we normally come across talking animals…?"

"Do we normally come across haunted schools, looking like they're out to kill us?" he asked in return, furrowing his brow.

"Kishinuma, this is no time for smart-alec replies," Ayumi mumbled quietly, folding her arms and looking at the boy with a stern face.

"Okay, fine, fine…" he grumbled, "But given the circumstances right now, I'm not that surprised. This place is fu—"

Glare again.

"…Messed up." He glanced at Cream, seeming a little off about the whole ordeal. Ghosts, sure, seemed… somehow realistic, but talking animals, that could walk and do what other living people did? He wasn't so sure he could go on like it was a normal thing… "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if this is our mind playing tricks on us."

"She just hugged you," Ayumi told him bluntly. "That's proof enough she's solid."

"Yeah, but…"

"Umm… excuse me?" Cream spoke up, very uncomfortable about the conversation.

"Oh, sorry…" Ayumi apologized to her, straightening and frowning at her. "We shouldn't be talking about you like this, especially in front of you."

"It's okay…" Cream mumbled softly, but was inwardly worried. If these people didn't know about her, about Mobians, then… what happened?

"At any rate, we gotta' get going," Kishinuma cut in, rubbing the back of his neck. "We've stuck around here long enough. Let's see if we can find the others and get the Hell out of here."

"Alright then. Let's go, Cream."

"…Eh?"

"What?"

"She's coming?"

"Yes. Problem?"

"Uh… n-no, but I was thinking maybe we should take her back to Classroom 1A…"

"By herself?" Ayumi stared at him disapprovingly. "Kishinuma-kun."

"W-what? She'd be safe there, right? Plus, more so if someone got our message… Maybe Ms. Yui came back, and she could—"

"What if she hasn't yet?" Ayumi asked him, furrowing her brow. "This is like leaving Yuka on her own! We could never do that!"

"We don't have to! You could stay with her whilst I find Ms. Yui! I could—!"

"No."

"But wandering around might get people killed…"

Cream shuffled to Ayumi a little bit, frightened at the notion.

The girl stood tall and stubborn.

"…And sitting around might do the same! She stays with us, Kishinuma!"

Cream felt so guilty for them fretting over her, but felt so honoured at the same time.

"I'll be okay, Ayumi-san, Kishinuma-san! Miss Amy or Cheese might not be with me… bu-but I'll be brave until the very end!"

The faces Cream received looked very worried.

"Okay…" Kishinuma shrugged. He glanced at Ayumi, frowning. "But it can't be helped since everything's out to kill us anyway…"

"Stop saying things like that…" Ayumi grumbled.

"…" Kishinuma was silent for a moment, before he glanced elsewhere, and turned around, rubbing the back of his neck impishly. "…We should get going, Shinozaki."

"Yes, we _should_."

_Well, she's definitely more assertive…_

Kishinuma sighed. She was in a bad mood now… He was meant to be there to keep her calm, so why was he saying all that stuff? He reckoned he was being honest, but… that wasn't really helping the situation…

Walking forward, the boy heard the footsteps of the people behind him as he made his way to the back of the corridor, trying his hardest to ignore the horrid surroundings. It wasn't long, however, before he halted upon a gasp from Ayumi…

"H-hnggg….!"

"Shinozaki?"

He turned around, blinking blankly to see the girl kneeling, covering her face with the cream rabbit by her side. She was whimpering, not looking around, and only swiping a look up at Kishinuma. Her eyes temporarily passed over him, and then the bleached and murky bones around them.

Cream glanced around, then froze, her fur standing on end.

"…The Hell…?!" the male student yelped, looking around in shock, then walked towards his companions.

"Bodies… Kishinuma-kun… bodies…!" Ayumi whimpered, sounding terrified.

"…Are they re-real…?" Cream asked, backing up a little to Ayumi and looking slightly scared.

"They… don't look fake…" Kishinuma cringed, staring at one for a little while. "…Th-these are genuine…"

"God…!" Ayumi let out a strangled yelp, unable to even properly respond.

"Shinozaki…" Kishunma frowned. "…Come on. Let's get going…"

Cream turned around, and covered her face, shaking her head erratically. Kishinuma glanced at Cream for a mere moment, unable to decipher how terrified she was; she wasn't as freaked out as Shinozaki, but the Kisaragi student had a slightly more worn interior… Of Cream, he was not aware, but she was just a child, and there was no telling how bad this was…

"…Both of you."

Ayumi looked up shakily, nodding, before standing up slowly and walking towards Kishinuma, a bit off balance, with Cream clinging to her as she did so.

Kishinuma glanced at this, then began walking ahead, his thoughts no longer on escape but the terrified mind of Ayumi Shinozaki. He kept glancing at them from the corner of his eye just to check they were still there, following, and at least physically well. He eyed Ayumi the most, however; he felt more inclined to be concerned for her…

As they neared the top of the corridor, Cream called out quietly, "There's a door over there…" she stated, swallowing. Inside, she could scarcely see a faint blue light, and at that, she shuddered. "M-maybe there's a fire exit…"

"Yeah… come to think of it, we haven't been in any classrooms downstairs. Maybe there are fire exits and we just haven't seen them…" Yoshiki mused, nodding at the young rabbit. Ayumi seemed to be in deep thought as the trio neared the door.

As soon as Yoshiki's hand rested on the handle of the sliding door, however, she suddenly felt a great deal of unease and fear.

"…Eh?" Noticing this, the blonde-haired boy turned to look at her, blinking blankly. "Sh-Shinozaki?"

"…It's nothing," she mumbled quietly, hoping she was right. "L-let's go see if there's an exit."

Not quite believing her, the teenager eyed her suspiciously with alarm, then turned to open the door. Peeking inside, he glanced around, until he mumbled, "Clear…"

Stepping forward, he guided the pair through the entrance of the room, and looked towards the back. Then, instantly, his pupils shrunk.

At the end of the room, there was a small child. It was staring blankly at the wall ahead of it, its eyes void of emotion, and its mouth barely open. It was a boy. He had messy hair, ragged clothes, and was sat, hugging his legs as he stared almost endlessly at the wall. However, while this only seemed a little normal, he yielded a blue glow, and there was no tongue to be seen in his mouth.

"Wh-what the hell kind of room is this?! It's not like any classroom I've ever seen…"

"My head is splitting…" Ayumi cringed, holding her head and wincing.

"…Shinozaki? You alright…?"

"We… shouldn't be here, Kishinuma-kun… we _really _shouldn't be here…"

The room was long, a very oddly-shaped classroom, full of rotting and missing floorboards, thick with darkness, but Yoshiki could still see at the end of it. The end unnerved him the most…

"Kishinuma-kun!" Ayumi yelped suddenly as the boy stepped forward, grabbing his shoulder.

The boy stiffened and glanced at her.

"Ack! Wh-what the Hell?!"

"You mustn't!"

"D-don't scare me like that! Geez…"

"D-don't go over there!"

"S-Shinozaki, we need to find a way out!"

"There's nothing here! Let's just leave! Please, Kishinuma!"

"…" The boy stared at her, then looked ahead. Something glinted on a table at the back. "…there is. Just sit tight, okay, Shinozaki? Relax. I'll be fine."

_I hope. I fucking hope. Because if I won't, then Shinozaki will be on her own… and I sure as Hell don't want that to happen…_

"Ummm…" Cream mumbled something inaudible.

"You won't! You—!"

He turned to look at her sharply. "Trust me, Shinozaki! I'll get back here alive! No dead kid's going to put me in a grave when you're still here!"

"…?" Ayumi looked at him meekly, then down. "…f-fine. But you mustn't look at his eyes! No matter what you do, don't look at his eyes!"

"I got it. Now stop worrying, okay?" Yoshiki sighed. Ayumi pouted, then stared at him with a concentrated expression. She stood closer to Cream.

The teenaged male exhaled, then walked towards the end of the room, creeping across the floorboards slowly.

"Ayumi-san…?"

Ayumi was shaking visibly as she watched Yoshiki cross the side of the classroom. She looked down at Cream, who was frowning and tugging on her shirt.

"…I-I'm fine, Cream-chan."

"Are you sure…?" the rabbit asked, frowning more concernedly. "If Kishinuma-san says he'll be okay, he'll be okay, right?"

_Like Mr. Sonic would be!_

"…Yeah… he will…" Ayumi grumbled. It was incredibly inaudible, though. Luckily, Cream caught it and smiled a tiny bit.

"Then don't worry, Ayumi-san!"

The girl looked elsewhere, silent at that.

Yoshiki glanced over his shoulder, seeing the two talking, then closing his eyes and sighing gently.

Their talking was making him nervous. Would he really be okay…?

He was worried about Shinozaki… Hell, he was worried about leaving her right now. Cream, too, even though they hadn't known eachother long. She seemed like a good kid…

"…No. I'll be okay."

He stopped at the boy, who was staring at the wall opposite him.

"'Don't look at his eyes'," Yoshiki repeated to himself, breathing in heavily.

Slowly, cautiously, he walked past the ghost child, moving towards the table of where an object had been gleaming earlier. Now at the back, he did certainly notice there was no exit here. To that, he grimaced, but continued his plight in grabbing the object.

Upon closer inspection, it looked to be a crowbar… a nail puller, basically. Yoshiki paused, then muttered something inaudible. Oh, well… he might as well have taken it.

He picked up the nail puller, then looked back at Ayumi and Cream, waving it about to show he was okay.

The two just stared, one smiling meekly and one having a worried frown on her face.

Moving back towards the girls swiftly and carefully, the boy sauntered around the spirit, walking down the classroom. As he did, he couldn't help but stare back at the youngster.

He was just… staring vacantly at the wall. He was staring as if no one had walked past him, and Yoshiki found that both odd and unnerving.

"Are you okay, Kishinuma-san?" Cream asked, tilting her head.

"I'm fine." He looked at Ayumi with a concerned expression. "See?"

"Whatever…" Ayumi grumbled, not looking at him and still initially angry he risked his life for… what even was that? A nail puller…?

"… Let's leave. I don't want to stick around in this room longer than we have to."

"Y-yeah…" Ayumi mumbled, then grabbed Cream's hand. She gently tugged her along as she led Yoshiki out of the room.

As Cream walked, she glanced back, and, briefly, she caught a glimpse of the ghost boy's head twitching slowly towards their direction. She glanced away before he properly stared though, and shivered.

"What's up?" Yoshiki asked the rabbit, raising an eyebrow.

"…U-um… nothing, Kishinuma-san…" She knew there was, but she didn't want her friend to turn around like she did… She remembered clearly what Ayumi had said…

"..Okay…" Yoshiki responded, disbelieving her.

Now outside the room, the group made their way down the corridors, to the cross-section they had visited before. But half-way there… something had changed.

Ayumi's hand slipped from Cream's, to which the rabbit looked up in confusion.

"Ayumi-san…? Are you okay…?"

"…"

"Shinozaki?"

Ayumi didn't answer. She was staring intently at nothing, her eyes void of emotion.

"…Hey! Shinozaki!"

Yoshiki walked around, in front of the girl, squinting worriedly.

Cream looked up at her, then whimpered and back-stepped a bit when a horrible noise made itself known from Ayumi's throat. Yoshiki step-backed a bit too.

"Ooooouuuuuuuuuuughhh…"

Ayumi was groaning, but it sounded almost nothing like her… at least, that's what was thought. No one had ever heard her make such a horrible, cringey noise…

"Ayumi-san?"

"Shinozaki?! Wh-what's wrong?! Are you-?"

**THUD!**

With an odd amount of strength, Ayumi pushed Yoshiki aside. He almost fell over, but kept his balance. Even so, it was a shock.

"H-HEY! SHINOZAKI!"

The girl ran south, not looking back, and seeming in quite a rush to get to where she was going.

"Where are you going?!" Yoshiki yelled.

He received no answer. A door slammed, and Ayumi left through the door to the school's entrance.

"What the hell…?"

"…Mrmmmm…"

Yoshiki glanced down at Cream, and he frowned.

"…What's wrong with Ayumi-san, Kishinuma-san?" Cream asked, her bottom lip quivering in fear as she clasped her hands. Body language clearly meant she was scared and worried, Mobian or not.

"… I don't know…" Yoshiki answered truthfully, then sighed. "…Let's go see what's wrong. Stay behind me, okay?"

"O-okay…" Cream nodded, then stepped close to Yoshiki, walking behind him as he walked quickly down to the entranceway.

Cream looked down at the floor, noticing the amount of children's shoes on the floor.

"…So many shoes…" she mumbled quietly. So many shoes… but where were their owners?

"Try not to think about it, kid."

Yoshiki opened the door, then peeked inside. He glanced around the room, then froze upon seeing the person he was looking for. She was stood in the corner of the room, staring at the wall.

"…Shinozaki! There you are! Jeez, what the hell are you doi—…"

Yoshiki stopped as he stepped in, as he moved closer to the girl.

Cream glanced out of the door before shutting it, then looked at Ayumi.

"Ayumi-san…? We found you… Tell us what's wrong, okay? We're really worrie—"

**"****NO ONE IS SAYING THAT!"**

"…H-huh…?!"

Ayumi was staring at the wall, her mouth forming a small smile. This smile gradually grew wide, almost ear to ear, and her pupils shrank as she continued her words.

"Shinozaki…?"

**"****Today is my daughter's birthday. She's turning seven. We're going out together to celebrate."**

Cream looked seriously confused, as did Yoshiki.

"He—!"

**"****WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! THAT'S DISGUSTING!"** Ayumi screeched in a hoarse voice. **"****AAAAAHH! WHY ARE YOU BOTH LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT?!"**

"Because—!"

"Ummm! Kishinuma-san…"

Ayumi said nothing, her expression stuck on anger, until it warped, slowly becoming placid and calm.

"…"

Yoshiki sighed, then took a step closer to Ayumi.

"…Sh-Shinozaki… Hey…" he muttered, holding his hand out.

"…Hmmm?" Ayumi blinked, then looked at Yoshiki blankly. "Kishinuma! What's wrong?"

"Kishinuma-san…" Cream repeated again, eyeing the door worriedly.

"Uhhhh… well… you were saying some pretty weird stuff just now…" he muttered quietly.

"Weird stuff?" Ayumi blinked.

"Yeah, you, uh, started saying…"

"…?"

Ayumi looked perplexed at what he was saying.

"…Forget it."

_Was she not aware…? Must be the pressure… probably… Nerves are probably shot to all hell by now… God…_

"Just me and my imagination. Don't worry too much, Shinozaki."

"Kishinuma—"

"It's fine."

"…?" Ayumi frowned. "If you say so…" She sounded sceptical.

She glanced at Cream, who was glancing at the entrance door with fear.

"…Cream-chan? What's wrong?"

"There's… there's…"

"What?" Yoshiki asked, folding his arms.

_Great, more trouble…_

"G-ghost…!" Cream gasped quietly.

"Ghost?" Yoshiki asked, then lowered an eyebrow. "That was back in the classroom…"

"Y-yes, but…" Cream squeaked, "I-it looked at us! I-it l-left!"

"Left? What do you mea—?"

Yoshiki gave up on the question. He walked towards the door, then opened it, and was greeted immediately by a young boy looking down at the floor.

"Ack?!"

Jumping back, Yoshiki slammed the door, then leaned against it.

"Kishinuma-kun?!"

"It d-did leave… sh-she was right!" Yoshiki breathed. "It's that ghost from before! It left the classroom!"

"Left it?! But…!"

"No time for buts, Shinozaki; it's out there!"

"Nghh…"

Ayumi held her head again. Her head was splitting once again…

Cream swallowed, then looked up at Yoshiki.

"What do we do, Kishinuma-san?"

"We can't just stay here! We need to get out!"

"And find the others…" Ayumi mumbled, cringing. She panted slightly.

"Ayumi-san?"

"I'm f-fine…"

Cream frowned. "That isn't true! You've not been okay at all!"

"How would y-you know…?" Ayumi asked, staring at her with a gentle expression.

"I just know! This isn't yourself, is it? I bet you're really a happy person! A lot better than this!"

"…y-you're…" Ayumi glanced elsewhere, "…right, I guess…"

"Shinozaki!"

"Alright, Kishinuma-kun…" the class rep responded weakly. "J-just… don't… Don't let it touch you. Any of you."

She looked at Cream just as worriedly.

"Okay… you two ready?" Yoshiki asked with a serious expression.

"Y-yeah…" Ayumi nodded.

"Y-yes," Cream replied, expression terrified.

"…Stay close, okay? We don't want to lose anyone."

The two nodded.

"If you have to scatter, well… we'll get to that part. Just don't die—"

"Kishinuma…!"

"…fine, don't get 'lost'…"

This wasn't helping Cream's or Ayumi's mindset…

Yoshiki took a deep breath, then opened the door.

"Run!"

In an instant, the trio took off, and as they did, Yoshiki kept a close eye on Ayumi.

"…!"

He froze, seeing that Ayumi wasn't fast enough to move out of the way of the child's hand which was now stalking them across the corridor. Surging forwards, he grabbed her wrist, yanking her away.

"Ow!"

"Better than what could've happened!" Yoshiki exclaimed. "Where's the rabbit girl?"

"Cllmmmeee…. Wiiiifffff…"

"No-nooo!" Cream yelped.

She was at the floorless side of the cross-section, and the spirit was walking towards her, his hands reaching out for the rabbit as if she were a toy to play with.

"Dammit!"

"Cream-chan!"

Cream backstepped, her heel hitting the edge. She teared up as the boy neared her.

"I don't like this!"

Closer.

"Why do I have to be here…?!"

Closer.

"I want Momma!"

"Kishinuma!" Ayumi spat. "D-do something!"

"I c-can't! N-not without touching hi—"

"YOU SELFISH COWARD!"

"…Huh?!"

"SHE'S A KID, KISHINUMA! DO SOMETHING!"

"…"

_Dammit… I just want to protect you…!_

The boy looked at her, then his face grew stern.

"That classroom. Now."

"Wh-wha—?"

Yoshiki shoved his blazer into her hands.

"NOW, DAMMIT!"

He ran towards the boy.

"KISHINUMA! ST-STO—!" Ayumi screamed.

_No._

Cream whimpered on the spot, her other heel directly in front of the ledge. The boy was getting far too close.

"N-no…!"

"HEY! YOU! YOU LITTLE BASTARD! LEAVE HER ALONE!" Yoshiki yelled, picking up a piece of wood. He threw it at the child. It went right through him.

Sweat ran down his face.

_Figures._

"Kishinuma-san!" she sobbed. "I'm so—!"

The wood slid right in front of Cream, and that was just enough to budge her off. She lost balance.

Yoshiki froze. "CREAM!"

The child fell back, flapping her arms in attempt to stop the fall. It failed, however, and Kishinuma heard a 'THUD' down below…

"Wh-wha…" he trailed. "…DAMMIT! NO! Wh-why…? Why the hell would that happen to a KID?! SHE WAS A KID, YOU BRAT! You… you little…"

The spirit stared blankly at this, then stayed still. Then…

The child turned around, staring at Yoshiki.

"CLMMMEEE WIIIFFFFFF MEEEEEEE…"

He started walking towards Yoshiki, attention drawn away from Cream.

"…! CRAP!" he cursed, then growled at the boy. He shot off towards where he had directed Ayumi, Classroom 1A.

_Ayumi better have moved!_

Yoshiki shot off towards the stairs, glancing back at the boy and where Cream had fallen.

He couldn't believe this. And he hated it.

He was going to hate telling Ayumi just as much…

He failed her… He failed both of them…

Why? Why would this place do that?! To a six-year-old?!

This was messed up…

Reaching the top of the stairway, with no sign of the ghost following, Yoshiki made his way to the classroom.

Opening the door, he saw Ayumi at the podium, staring at the wood fixedly.

"Shinozaki, I'm sorry, I couldn't—…?"

"Kishinuma," Ayumi replied, then stared at him with an anxious expression. "Someone replied. And it wasn't Ms. Yui…"

"Wha…"

**-S-**

**Whoooooa, been ages since I've updated this fic! Sorry! This ain't dead just yet. I has many plans for this. :3**

**If you didn't guess, this leads on to the intro in Chapter 2. Due to Cream being able to fly, I'd say she isn't dead by the end of this chappie.**

**Anyways, loved writing this. Ayumi and Yoshiki, mah gerd. X3 I won't rant. I just love writing their dialogue because OTP.**

**Hope you guys liked it! :3**

**Until next time…**

**-Toxic : )**


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